Out via Infacted on March 1st is the 2nd album by Alex Braun (singer of the German electro-pop band !Distain), “Dreamland”. The album is the follow-up to his debut album “reCOVER” (ScentAir 2021).

Unlike the debut, “Dreamland” only contains Braun’s own compositions, without any cover versions. Production-wise he teamed up with Gerrit Thomas (Eisfabrik/Funker Vogt). Note that some of the demo material for this release (“I can’t dance tonight” for example) dates back from the !Distain time period, while most others are newly composed and produced with Gerrit.

The album features all digital single releases such as “Traumfänger”, “Der Gedankensammler” and “Room of Silence“.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: After having released the EP’s “Eiskalt” (2018) and “Chasing Cars” (2019) Alex Braun (!Distain singer) has released all the songs from these EP’s on the debut album “ReCover”. This work has been released in Russia by ScentAir and features a few extra songs. The title of the album is an indication of the concept of cover songs. 

Content: The work features a varied selection of cover songs, which have been transposed into the Electro-Pop approach of Alex Braun. From Kim Wilde to Lou Reed to Depeche Mode to Snow Patrol to Black ao, the songs are easily recognizable. The opening track “Male Stripper” is a cover from Man 2 Man and features vocals by Madil Hardis (who already did some vocals for Nature Of Wires and Ashbury Heights). The last songs are remixes by Rob Dust (who did 2 remixes), Parralox and Elmodic. There’s also a cover of “Hallelujah” featuring female vocals by Alex’s daughter. 

+ + + : Alex Braun seems to be fond of covering songs he likes. The work confirms the great vocal skills of Braun. It’s not an easy thing adapting famous songs like “Wonderful Life”, “Perfect Day”, “Cambodia” or yet “Somebody”, but he did it with natural grace. “Kim Wilde’s “Cambodia” remains my favorite one, which is the perfect song for Electro-Pop -the original version being pretty Pop as well. But my favorite song is the ‘new’ one; the opening piece featuring Madil Haris is driven by an excellent poppy tune and is one of the most danceable cuts. When it comes to composing ‘club music’ you better ask Rob Dust to remix some songs. He did a great job remixing “Cambodia” and “Chasing Cars”.

– – – : It remains a challenge to cover famous songs and artists. Alex Braun accomplished an honest work, but I’m missing some extra danceable vibes in most of the songs. 

Conclusion: This work is mainly meant for the fans of the !Distain singer although I’m sure others will be surprised to discover a few cover versions.

Best songs: “Male stripper”, “Cambodia”, “Wonderful Life”, “Perfect Day” + “Cambodia – Rob Dust Remix”, “Chasing Cars – Rob Dust remix”.

Rate: 7.

Listen to “reCOVER”:

Artist: www.facebook.com/alex.braun.313

Label: www.scent-air.com / www.facebook.com/ScentairRecords

About Alex Braun

Alex Braun sings in the German electro-pop band !Distain. He started issuing music under his own name through Echozone, which released the CD EP “Eiskalt”, reviewed on Side-Line in October 2018, and the EP “Chasing Cars”, reviewed in January 2020.

Discogs catalogues “ReCover” as ScentAir Records SA164, a limited CD released in Russia on 2 July 2021, and lists an identical sixteen-track digital edition issued by Echozone on 23 July 2021. The running order opens with the Man 2 Man cover “Male Stripper” and ends with four remixes.

Braun’s second solo album, “Dreamland”, appeared on Infacted on 1 March 2024. It drops the cover concept for his own compositions and was produced with Gerrit Thomas of Eisfabrik and Funker Vogt.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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Patrick Knoch set up Elektrostaub in 2007. Elektrostaub  can be defined as Electro/Future-Pop and is a solo-project with guest singers. After the first official album “Birthday And Death” released in 2017 on Echozone, the German project joined hands together with Alfa-Matrix. The new album “Reliance” features guest singers Patrik Hansson (Vanguard, Uncreated), Henrik Iversen (Namnambulu), !DISTAIN, René Anke (Logic & Olivia), Stefan Netschio (Beborn Beton), Jan Dieckmann (Norderney), Alex Rush (Unity One), Claudia Uhle (X-Perience), Damasius Venys (Mondträume, Mental Exile), Alex Nórdika (Nórdika) and Darrin Huss (Psyche). The work is a diversified, danceable and ambitious piece. I asked a few questions to Patrick Knoch.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Patrick, tell us a bit more about your music background and how did you come to set up Elektrostaub? 

Patrick: I received musical education in my childhood at a Yamaha music school, mainly on the electronic organ and keyboards. In the early 2000s I founded a band and later decided to start a solo project to better implement my own ideas and ideas.

Q: Elektrostaub is clearly driven and inspired by different forms of Electronic music, but ‘Pop’ definitely appears to be the main source of inspiration.  What are your examples and references in music and how would you analyze your own composition? 

Patrick: I’ve always been a fan of Electronic music and I liked the music of Depeche Mode, Camouflage, Erasure to name a few. Later, Silke Bischoff, Vnv Nation, Solar Fake, for example. So it was relatively obvious that I should try to make music in this direction myself.

Are you looking for powerful beats, flying, melodic and dreamy surfaces as well as modern sounds and catchy Electro-Pop songs? Then you’ve come to the right place with Elektrostaub. Due to the large number of singers involved, the styles of the respective bands also flow into the project and increase the spectrum of versatility.

Q: You mentioned the large number of singers so why do you prefer working with guest singers instead of a real band singer? And what’s your connection with the guys of !Distain? 

Patrick: In the beginning, the main idea was to do remixes and write instrumentals. Later on the idea came up that I could have guest singers set it to music. 

On this album all lyrics come exclusively from the guest singers. I think it’s important that my guests can get involved in the project themselves.

I have known Manfred and Alex from !Distain since the beginning of Elektrostaub and they have become very good friends of mine. Producing songs together is similar to do house music with your family… lol.

Q: How did the writing- and production process of “Reliance” happened? And how did the collaboration with the different singers happened?  

Patrick: First I write the arrangements and instrumentals. When that happens I think carefully about which singer could sing the song best. In most cases I choose artists whose music I also like and whether I personally like the voices or would simply go very well with the song.

When the process is finished I write to the respective artist and ask if they are interested.

After receiving the vocal tracks, I embedded them into the arrangements and then created the final mixes.

Q: There’s an impressive evolution in sound and production from your debut album “Birthday And Death” (2017) towards “Reliance”. How do you look back at your debut work and the transition to “Reliance”? 

Patrick: Thanks so much. I would think it’s just a constant development and advancement. Perhaps the experience gained plays a role. I don’t really like to look back, I love to look forward 😉

Q: How do you expect Elektrostaub evolving and what are the further plans regarding aspects like live shows, remixes, singles and clips? 

Patrick: I will start work on the third album soon. I will write several arrangements and instrumentals again and then proceed as always. I still have some remixes to do in the near future. I’ve been doing a few lately and they’ll all be out soon. Live shows are not planned or very feasible due to the fact that I don’t have a permanent singer.

In which direction will Elektrostaub evolve? I can’t say that today. I’ll just try to develop myself musically and hope to take the next steps.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop, Future-Pop.  

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Four years after the debut-album “Birthday And Death” released on Echozone, Patrick Knoch unleashes his second full length featuring an impressive list of guest singers. “Reliance” was preceded by two singles/EP’s, which especially in Germany became pretty successful.

Content: Patrick Knock had some good company with Patrik Hansson (Vanguard, Uncreated), Henrik Iversen (Namnambulu), !Distain duo, René Anke (Logic & Olivia), Stefan Netschio (Beborn Beton), Jan Dieckmann (Norderney), Alex Rush (Unity One), Claudia Uhle (X-Perience), Damasius Venys (Mondträume, Mental Exile), Alex Nórdika (Nórdika) and Darrin Huss (Psyche). Sound-wise Elektrostaub brings a perfect mix of electro-Pop driven and somewhat harder Future-Pop inspired songs. The different singers inject some extra diversity to the work.

The album features previously released singles “Wake Up” and “We Are Dreamers”. There’s only one single song featuring female vocals. !Distain –being good-old friends of Patrick Knock, contributed to 3 songs, one of them featuring French sung lyrics.

+ + + : First of all we have to salute the contribution of some real great and talented singers like Darren Huss, Henrik Iversen and Stefan Netschio, but also brilliant singers from the ‘latest’  generation like Damasius Venys, Patrik Hansson and Claudia Uhle. The single female vocalist injects a heavenly touch to the album. Several songs sound like they were conceived to make people dance and get happy. I also enjoyed the somewhat harder Future-Pop driven cuts and I especially recommend “Futurism” featuring Norderney, which will appeal to VNV Nation fans. “We Are Dreamers” featuring Patrik Hansson remains a great piece of music for its boosting Electro-Pop. There’s also a cool ‘female’ version featuring Claudia Uhle who’s definitely a great singer. Last, but not least I also recommend listening to “Dust” featuring Damasius Venys who’s according to me one of the most charismatic and sexy voices of the scene.

– – – : I expected a bit more from the songs featuring !Distain –an established Electro-Pop formation I’ve always liked. It’s also a pity there’s only one single female singer featured.

Conclusion: Elektrostaub has achieved an ambitious, but accomplished album, which sounds like the perfect crossover between Electro- and Future-Pop.

Best songs: “Futurism feat. Norderney”, “We Are Dreamers featuring Patrik Vanguard”, “We Are Dreamers featuring Claudia Uhle”, “Dust featuring Damasius Venys”, “Save Me featuring René Anke”, “Loneliness featuring !Distain”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.elektrostaub.de / www.facebook.com/Elektrostaub

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix Read the news on ‘Reliance’.

About Elektrostaub

Elektrostaub is the synthpop and future-pop project of German musician Patrick Knoch. Discogs lists “Where In This World” in 2014 as the earliest entry, followed by the singles “Unforgotten” and “Also Without You” on Echozone in 2017, the debut album “Birthday And Death” the same year, and the single “Funeral Of Love” in 2018.

Knoch signed to Alfa Matrix in December 2020. The label released the EP “We Are Dreamers”, recorded with Patrik Hansson of Vanguard, in 2021.

“Reliance” was released by Alfa Matrix on 19 November 2021 in digital and CD formats. The fourteen tracks are “Continuation (prolog)”, “We Are Dreamers” with Patrik Hansson, “Wake Up” with Henrik Iversen, “Loneliness” with !Distain, “Save Me” with René Anke, “Mantis” with Stefan Netschio, “Futurism” with Norderney, “The Answer” with Alex Rush, “We Are Dreamers” with Claudia Uhle, “Dust” with Damasius Venys, “Psychological” with Nórdika, “The Light Disappears” with Psyche, “Politicians” with !Distain and “The Day She Died” with !Distain.

Side-Line published a Click Interview with Elektrostaub in December 2021. Alfa Matrix went on to release the EP “Mantis” in 2023, the EP “Falling” in 2025 and the third album “Humility” in 2026.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

After the two chart-hitting singles “We Are Dreamers“ (#1) and “Wake Up“ (#4), German synth pop act Elektrostaub is about to release the 14-track album “Reliance” featuring quite and impressive list of artists who surround him on future pop / synthpop album.

On this record Patrick Knoch works with Henrik Iversen (Namnambulu), Nórdika and his good old friends from !Distain. But he also invited a sort of “who is who” from the indie synth pop scene on this release, with special additional guest singers in the likes of Stefan Netschio (Beborn Beton), Darrin Huss (Psyche), Damasius Venys (Mondträume, Mental Exile), Patrik Hansson (Vanguard), Claudia Uhle (X-Perience), René Anke (Logic & Olivia), Alex Rush (Unity One) and Jan Dieckmann (Norderney).

Impressive to say the least!

You can expect a mix of melancholic synth pop and dancefloor future pop with a harder EBM edge. The release is available now in pre-order on CD and as download via Bandcamp where you get 2 tracks already.

Check out the album trailer below. Read the review of ‘Reliance’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop, Future-Pop.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: One year after the EP “Wake Up” featuring Henrik Iversen (NamNamBulu), German Electro-Pop project Elektrostaub strikes back with a new EP featuring Patrik Hansson (Vanguard, Uncreated). This new EP is an appetizer to Patrick Knoch’s announced album “Reliance”.

Content: The EP features 12 tracks; “We Are Dreamers” is the title song featuring guest vocals by Patrik Hansson. The song sounds as a pure fusion between classical Electro-Pop and heavier Future-Pop influences. The chorus has something powerful and catchy. Remixes have been made by People Theatre, Spektralized, We The North, Excubitors and Uncreated (solo-project of Patrik Hansson). One song features female vocals by Claudia Uhle (X-Perience).

The other song left “Loneliness” has been accomplished together with !Distain resulting in pure Electro-Pop; catchy and somewhat melancholic. Remixes have been accomplished by Technoir, Digital Factor and also People Theatre while there also is a wafting version without drums as the last cut.

+ + + : The more you listen to “We Are Dreamers” the more you gone like it. It’s a cool Electro-Pop driven song with a great vocalist on top. It sounds catchy and danceable while we also get a few cool remixes like the one by People Theatre, but also the boosted edit by Uncreated (a project which is maybe better than Vanguard) and more Future-Pop driven remix by Excubitors. The B-side “Loneliness” is another potential title track. It sounds more ‘classical’, but still totally accomplished. 

– – – : I expected a bit more from the remixes of “Loneliness”.

Conclusion: Without setting the Electro-Pop scene alight, Elektrostaub has achieved a new EP, which is definitely more convincing than its predecessor.

Best songs: “We Are Dreamers – Radio Edit”, “We Are Dreamers – Excubitors Mix”, “We Are Dreamers – Uncreated Mix”, “Loneliness – Club Edit”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.elektrostaub.de / www.facebook.com/Elektrostaub

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix Read the news on ‘We Are Dreamers’.

About Elektrostaub

Elektrostaub is the project of German musician Patrick Knoch, who signed to Alfa Matrix in December 2020 with the “Wake Up” EP featuring Henrik Iversen of NamNamBulu.

“We Are Dreamers”, released 9 March 2021, features Vanguard singer Patrik Hansson and follow-up single “Loneliness” with !Distain. Knoch previewed the announced album “Reliance”, which arrived that October with an extended list of guest vocalists.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Although Elektrostaub’s previous “Wake Up” EP featuring Henrik Iversen is only out since December, the project already kicks back with yet another new collaborative EP: “We Are Dreamers” (available now via Bandcamp). “We Are Dreamers'” is the second EP taken from Elektrostaub’s forthcoming new album “Reliance”.

This time, he joined hands with Patrik Hansson of Swedish Electropop band Vanguard for an upbeat club synth pop song. Alternate remixes of the songs were created by People Theatre, Spektralized, We The North and Uncreated. Elektrostaub on top recorded a totally different version featuring the female voice of Claudia Uhle from X-Perience fame.

For the B-side song “Loneliness”, Elektrostaub aka Patrick Knoch worked again with his good old partners in crime from !Distain. Besides the club mix and the ‘no drum’ edit of this song, we also get more laidback and introspective interpretations of this catchy song by People Theatre as well as from label mates Technoir and Digital Factor.

In total you get 12 tracks which you can check out below on Bandcamp (and other platforms in the next weeks). Read the review of ‘We Are Dreamers’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Over 3 years after the release of his successful debut album “Birthday And Death”, German synth pop act Elektrostaub is back with a brand new EP, “Wake Up” and announces the release of his second album “Reliance” in 2021 on his new label Alfa Matrix.

For the new EP – out now on all platforms including Bandcamp and Spotify – Patrick Knoch was joined by Henrik Iversen (Namnambulu). A second A-side song is also added to this EP with the harder and darker EBM song “Futurism” featuring the vocals of Norderney’s frontman Jan Dieckmann.

The EP features in total 11 songs, offering 9 bonus remixes going from moody synth pop to upbeat electro dance through EBM and modern electro wave remakes by artists in the likes of Aiboforcen, The Second Sight, Aesthetische, Culture Kultür, Digital Factor vs Margaret Street, Versus, DJ Thommy, Nordic and DMT Berzerk.

Back catalogue re-released

For the occasion of the signing of the German act Elektrostaub on the Belgian Alfa Matrix label, the complete back-catalogue was also re-released.

“Birthday And Death”

Originally released on 17th November 2017, “Birthday And Death” is the first album of Elektrostaub that was then much anticipated thanks to the resonant success of the two previous club hit singles “Also Without You” featuring Anne Goldacker (ex-Obscyre, Wintry) and especially “Unforgotten” featuring a collaboration with Namnambulu’s frontman Henrik Iversen.

This 13-track debut album also includes 5 songs made together with his long-term friends of !Distain but also a second song “Prediction” together with Henrik Iversen as well as additional guest vocal collaborations with artists like The Eternal Afflict, Datasushi or yet Roberto Lindner.

“Unforgotten” (feat. Henrik Iversen) EP

Originally released on 21st July 2017, “Unforgotten” is the debut single of Elektrostaub and features guest vocals by singer Henrik Iversen (from Namnambulu fame). The EP holds some 12 various versions of the song.

“Also Without You” (feat. Anne Goldacker) EP

Originally released on 22nd September 2017, “Also Without You” is the second single of Elektrostaub and features guest vocals by female singer Anne Goldacker (ex-Obscyre, Wintry). The EP holds some 13 various versions of the song.

“Funeral Of Love” EP

Originally released on 16th February 2018, “Funeral Of Love” is the third single of Elektrostaub taken from the debut album “Birthday And Death”. It reveals this time a harder side of Elektrostaub closer to EBM and perfectly matching with the powerful vox of Ruined Conflict’s frontman Xavier Morales. This track was also sung in Spanish by Nordika’s singer offering a more synth pop dimension to this very melodic song.

Besides 5 other versions / remixes of the title song, this EP also features an exclusive remix of the slower and poppy song “2806” featuring vocals by !Distain and Seyhan.

“Birthday And Death” (feat. !Distain) EP

Originally released on 1st June 2018, “Birthday And Death” was the 4th and last single to be released from Elektrostaub’s same titled debut album. The EP features !Distain on vocals. The EP holds some 11 various versions of the song.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Distain’s core member and singer Alex Braun strikes back with his second solo-production under his own name. One year after “Eiskalt” (2018) he moves on to cover some famous hits.

Content: “Chasing Cars” features 7 songs so in the end we might speak about a mini-album. Snow Patrol (“Chasing Cars”), Kim Wilde (“Cambodia”), The Shakepears Sister (“Hello”), Depeche Mode (“Somebody”), Harold Faltermeyer (“Axel F”) and Karl The Beetle (“Karl Der Käfer”) have been covered while there also is a remix of “Pinocchio” (that was originally featured at “Eiskalt”) by Elektrostaub.

The songs are easily recognizable, clearly transposed into a pop approach and confirming the vocals’ skills of Alex Braun.

+ + + : Especially both debut songs, “Chasing Cars” and “Cambodia” are well-crafted –and songs on which Alex Braun’s voice is absolutely phenomenal. It remains a challenge covering famous hits and pop-anthems from the past, but Alex Braun revisited them with style. It also is a way for younger music lovers to (re)discover some of these ‘lost’ songs.

– – – : A few songs can’t totally convince me, but especially “Hello” is not the best exponent from this EP.

Conclusion: Alex Braun seems to enjoy this ‘concept’ of cover songs. I can’t say that I was totally convinced, but there are a few cool songs among the tracklist.

Best songs: “Cambodia”, “Chasing Cars”.

Rate: (6½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/alex.braun.313 

Label: www.echozone.de / www.facebook.com/EchozoneMusic

About Alex Braun

Alex Braun is the singer of German electro-pop band !Distain, whose most recent album at the time, “Farewell To The Past”, appeared on Echozone in 2018. Braun launched a solo career the same year with the covers EP “Eiskalt”, followed in January 2020 by the second solo EP, “Chasing Cars”. He went on to release his solo debut album, “ReCover”, on ScentAir Records in 2022, and a second album, “Dreamland”, on Infacted in 2024, produced with Gerrit Thomas of Eisfabrik / Funker Vogt.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electronic, cinematographic, ambient.

Background/Info: You probably know Manfred Thomaser as the compositor behind !Distain, but he’s also busy with some side-projects. Next to Arsine Tibé, he from time to time also releases instrumental music under the moniker of The Independent Seasons. Three years after the debut album he unleashes this new work featuring four tracks.

Content: This music has nothing in common with the electro-pop of !Distain. It remains an electronic composition, but Manfred Thomaser explores ambient & cinematic fields built up with electronics. The opening track reminds me of Kraftwerk atmospheres and has this typical 80s flavor emerging at the surface. Quite progressively the tracks are taking you away on an imaginary trip. The sound is melodic, atmospheric and definitely dreamy. The last cut –just as the first one, is more elaborate and you here also will notice some guitar sounds.

+ + + : This cinematic experience has something relaxing. It’s the right music to enjoy after a stressful day. The songs don’t have a clear visual appeal, but you feel transposed into a parallel dimension filled with prosperity. I especially like the “The Kindergarten Detectives” for its analogue approach and some links with Krakftwerk.

– – – : This music is a kind of challenge; it’s easy going, but not exactly appealing to a wider audience.

Conclusion: This project makes me think to an intimate composition exorcising some hidden ideas from the musician who’s interested in different music genres and not only in electro-pop.

Best songs: “The Kindergarten Detectives”, “Seyhan II”.

Rate: (6½).

Artist: www.theindependentseaons.com / www.facebook.com/theindependentseasons

About The Independent Seasons

The Independent Seasons is an instrumental side-project of Manfred Thomaser, the German musician also known for his electro-pop project !Distain and his ambient-jazz alias Arsine Tibé. Thomaser has continued releasing music as Arsine Tibé since, including “The Lounge Noire Sessions (Episode III)” in 2026 and the 2026 mini-album “Reclaimed” with Suzanne Letting.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop.

Background/Info: Projekt Ich is a German solo-project driven by Ulf Müller. He’s been active for more than ten years and is now unleashing his debut full length. It’s a conceptual work related to the title of the album. Ulf Müller asked guest singers from different countries –but mainly from Germany, to sing his lyrics.

Content: The music sounds in the purest electro-pop style and even has a very vintage-like approach. Most of the sound treatments and the bass lines evoke the spirit of the 80s. Sometimes sweet and dreamy, but also harder and more sterile-like the album has a lot to offer.

Among the singers you’ll hear Marcus Mokuso (ReName), Mick L. Angelo (5Times0), Catrine Christensen (SoftWave), Distain!, Michael Draw (Otto Dix), Rene & Susan Mussbach (Analogue-X) ao. The work features 14 songs with vocals and a final instrumental cut.

+ + + : The concept is not new at all, but remains an interesting challenge for the variety of singers and voice timbres. Sound-wise I like the retro-like sound treatments, but Ulf Müller also reveals to be a talented composer. His songs are well-crafted revealing a mature and professional production process. There also is a nice twist between the different vocalists; different types of voices, male- and female artists. The song “Das Meer” is my personal favorite one, which I like for its minimalism.

– – – : Cool songs, but no real hit!

Conclusion: This album sounds a bit as an invitation to dream away and travel throughout vintage electro-pop fields.

Best songs: “Das Meer”, “The Sleepy Time feat. Caroline McLavy”, “New Dreams For Old feat. Marcus Mokuso”, “The Lightman feat. Oleg Degtiarev”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: http://projektich–musik.de /                 www.facebook.com/ProjektIchMusik

Label: www.echozone.de / www.facebook.com/EchozoneMusic

About Projekt Ich

Projekt Ich is a German synthpop solo project driven by Ulf Müller, active for more than a decade before the November 2019 release of debut album “By Train Through Countries” on Echozone. Müller followed the album with the single “Mit dir”, issued in November 2021 with twenty remixes, the album “Freedom For All” in July 2022, and further singles including “Der westliche Mann” (2024) and “Say It And Stay With Me” (2025) featuring Juan Carlos Rojas Sanchez of Frecuencias Ocultas. Projekt Ich closed a run of standalone singles with “In The Fire”, featuring Stian Shiver, in March 2026.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Synth-pop.

Background/Info: Alexander Braun and Manfred Thomaser are getting back to their last year released full length “Farewell To The Past”. After “SynthPopBoy” and “Maid Of Freedom” this is the third EP taken from this successful opus.

Content: The title song was without a shadow of a doubt one of the best songs from their album while also reflecting intelligent lyrics. “Wer Im Kreise Geht” has been remixed by Cyborgdrive (Spain), Nature Of Wires (UK), DMT Berzerk (Mexico) and Alex Stroeer  (Germany).

We also get a new song plus an extended version of “Waiting For A Song” and a remix of “Der Hirtenmann” (another essential piece from the last album) by Elektrostaub (Germany).

+ + + : I can’t ask for more when you get an EP with a great and carrying title song in the purest synth-pop tradition and a few interesting remixes and especially the harder, bouncing one by Cyborgdrive plus the remix of Elektrostaub. This EP brings diversity and as little bonus the exclusive song “Xavier’s Dream”. This EP also reminds us that the last album of Distain! stands for a well-written and accomplished production.

– – – : I regret the EP is maybe missing a harder ‘club version’. It this way remains sweet and classical synth-pop music… but that’s good enough!

Conclusion: Distain! is one of those German synth-pop bands, which has no longer anything to prove. They don’t really renew themselves, but bring efficient pop music to get people happy.

Best songs: “Wer Im Kreise Geht – Album Version”, “Wer Im Kreise Geht – Cyborgdrive Remix”, “Der hirtenmann – Elektrostaub Remix”, “Wer Im Kreise Geht – Alex Stroeer Remix”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.distain.de / www.facebook.com/distainofficial

Label: www.echozone.de / www.facebook.com/EchozoneMusic

About Distain

Distain is the German synth-pop duo of Alexander Braun and Manfred Thomaser, active since the 1990s. The band’s debut album, “Cement Garden”, appeared in 1995, followed by “Raise The Level” in 2007. “Wer Im Kreise Geht”, reviewed here, is the third EP drawn from the duo’s eighth studio album, “Farewell To The Past”, released on Echozone in 2018, following the earlier “SynthPopBoy” and “Maid Of Freedom” EPs.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Alexander Braun and Manfred Thomaser both remain the single members on board of !distain. This German electro-pop formation is active since the 90s and their debut releases became an instant success. !distain has this ‘typical’ German synth-pop sound and belongs together with bands such as De/Vision, Beborn Beton, Melotron… to the cream of German synth-pop. By the end of 2018 they released their eight studio album “Farewell To The Past” on Echozone revealing !distain in good shape. I’d a chat with Alexander and Manfred.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries / Pictures by Barbara Andres)

Q: What does this new album means to you when you realize your debut album “Cement Garden” was released in 1995? Do you still feel the same emotions? 

Alexander: Wow, it´s an amazing period of time. What still feels the same is the love for music. And at the same time of course so much has changed! That time we had a producer and we even spent the nights at his home. Today I really love to produce the music on my own. Naivety changed to ‘wisdom of age’… ha, ha. So this album (and its success) means a lot to me. We are still here, and it is still a very important part of my life!

Q: More than making simply music together, I think there must be a kind of chemistry to keep a band alive for such a long time. What makes this chemistry and partnership between you?

Manfred: In my opinion, respect is the most important thing. Alexander and I do have a lot in common, but we are very different, too. Those who can’t accept that other people may have other opinions, feelings, etc. may never find a way to deal with that. So, you need to understand the character of every band member. And you need to learn how to react to all the differences. Up to this the band is more important than the ego.

Alexander: Yes, and another very important aspect is that we would not be able writing these songs on our own. The quality of the song-writing is a result of combining our individual skills. There were so many moments when I thought the song is ok and then Manfred added some magic and it became something special…

Q: How much of the early work and writing process do you still recognize in the new work “Farewell To The Past” and how did you see yourselves evolving/growing as musicians?

Manfred: To me “Farewell To The Past” is mostly connected to “Raise The Level” which we released in 2007. Both records appear with deeper atmospheres and meanings. More melancholia than on “on/off” for example. The writing process on the other hand is more connected to “25 Frames A Second” when we spent a lot of time in the studio together working on the compositions and arrangements. This changes from time to time.

Alexander: The fact, that we now produce and mix the songs completely on our own gives us much more freedom. After so many years of making music it is the first time we have enough self-confidence doing everything on our own (besides mastering). I think in the course of time we get faster in realizing what works and what doesn´t, faster in singing the line with the best possible feeling and so on…

Q: Is there any particular and maybe explicit meaning behind the title of the new album and what have been the main lyrical themes you tried to achieve?

Alexander: Yes, the title of the album on one hand connects to Rick leaving !distain and the problems of the past. And on the other hand it is the chorus of one of my favorite songs on the album: “Letter To Myself”.

Manfred: The lyrics vary from being personal like “Wake Me Up” to being socially critical like “Der Hirtenmann” and “Wer Im Kreise Geht” or being a crime- and ghost-story like “The Guest-House”. Life is fragile. It can end every second. This is a theme maybe all lyrics deal with in the end.

Q: The song “SynthPopBoy”, which has been also released as EP-title track has something funny, but what did you try to express and what does it say about your own perception of the electronic music today?

Manfred: The basic idea is that there seem to be a lot of people who dislike something because they think it is common sense to dislike this something… which can be a song, a music style, a novel, art… whatever. For “SynthPopBoy” we have chosen Synth-Pop, which the ‘real tough guys’ do not like because everyone who listens to Synth-Pop is declared to be a weak person. And tough guys can’t be weak. Image means mostly everything to these people. By the way: we received a lot of reactions from fans saying ‘I know who you are talking about’… In the end “SynthPopBoy” is about accepting who you are. You like Synth-Pop? Why not? You like EBM? Why not? You like both? Why not?

Alexander: My perception of the electronic music of today is that it often should be kind of hard and aggressive stuff. Because then it is cool. But deep inside our hearts we all love melodies and positive feelings. The song calls for standing by it!

Q: A lot of things have changed and evolved since you started composing music. How do you experience all these changes – referring to technology & equipment, social media, streaming platforms, CD sales etc?  What do you see as the pros and contras?

Alexander: Yes, so many things have changed. Besides the decline of CD sales there are some good things, too; we get close to our fans via Facebook and other social media. The feedback to our music is much more direct and immediate. Making money with music has become so difficult, but on the other hand there is the chance to be discovered via streaming platforms. There are algorithms like ‘similar artist’ that maybe let people hear our music… although they don´t know us.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop.

Background/Info: Ano 2018 German synth-pop formation !Distain became a duo. Alexander Braun and Manfred Thomaser both remain the only members on board and strike back with a new chapter in the !Distain discography. It’s the band’s eight album since their set up in 1992. The work was preceded by the singles “SynthPopBoy” and “Maid Of Freedom”. Alex Braun also release a solo-EP with cover versions entitled “Eiskalt”.

Content: !Distain remains faithful to their original influences. The band is driven by ‘classical’ synth-pop music, which moves from ‘happy-pop’ songs to sweet sounding songs with a Vince Clarke flavor on top to somewhat harder passages to an instrumental-cinematographic cut. !Distain remains a band that will appeal to lovers of Depeche Mode, Human League and related bands in this genre.

+ + + : “Farewell To The Past” became a rather diversified opus, but still easily recognizable for all lovers of this band. The songs and production both reflect maturity. The arrangements are delicate, creating a truly sensitive approach. It also is a music that will get you happy and I especially refer to the opening song “The Cosmic Revolution” featuring Seyhan, but still a sound that will get you into dance (cf. “Wer Im Kreise Geht”, “Der Hintenmann”, “Targets”). One last noticeable song is the already familiar “SynthPopBoy” for its funny lyrics.

– – – : The album is enjoyable, but is missing ‘real’ hits. That’s a bit what I regret and especially compared to the early years of !Distain. I think some songs are missing some extra catchy touch.

Conclusion: It always is a pleasure discovering new work by !Distain although I must say that the initial magic from the early years is definitely gone. The music becomes sometimes too predictable.

Best songs: “Wer Im Kreise Geht”, “SynthPopBoy”, “Der Hintenmann”, “Targets”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/distainofficial

Label: www.echozone.de / www.facebook.com/EchozoneMusic

About Distain

Distain is the German synth-pop duo of Alexander Braun and Manfred Thomaser, active since the 1990s. The band’s debut album, “Cement Garden”, appeared in 1995, followed by “Raise The Level” in 2007. “Farewell To The Past”, reviewed here, is the duo’s eighth studio album, released on Echozone in 2018 after the EPs “SynthPopBoy” and “Maid Of Freedom” and Alex Braun’s cover EP “Eiskalt“. Distain returned the following year with the EP “Wer Im Kreise Geht“.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Background/Info:

About Alex Braun

Alex Braun is the frontman of German synth pop band !Distain. “Eiskalt” was his first solo release; Braun returned with the solo EP “Chasing Cars” in 2020 and announced his second solo album, “Dreamland”, in 2024.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Synth-pop.

Background/Info: Alex Pfahler and Andy Pfiefer ever started with a synth-pop band called L’Image, but later on moved on as Loewenhertz. The debut album “Irgendwo In Deutschalnd” was released in 2014 on Echozone. It was a promising work inspired by bands like De/Vision, Distain and co.

Content: “Echtzeit” is the continuation of “Irgendwo In Deutschland”. The duo from Augsburg remains inspired by the synth-pop and melancholia of their famous compatriots of De/Vision. You can also hear it in the arrangements, the global atmosphere recovering the tracks and even the way of singing. The songs were sung in German and English language.

Most of the songs are pretty evasive, but there are a few harder cuts as well revealing some naughty sound treatments.

+ + + : Loewenhertz is one of the many synth-pop formations inspired by Depeche Mode and of course De/Vision. I’ve already heard cheap emulations, but “Echtzeit” makes sense! The songs are well-crafted and accomplished. This duo has found the right sonic elixir to compose efficient melancholic synth-pop music. I have a little preference for most of the songs sung in English (cf. “It’s Too Late”, “Winter Falls”). “It’s Too Late” sounds pretty Depeche Mode-like while “Winter Falls” sounds a bit harder while carried by a cool and somewhat guitar-like electro sound. “Thunder” is another cool cut in this genre.

– – – : The work features 10 songs plus 2 bonus cuts, which are just 2 more original songs sung in English. So I don’t really understand why they call them ‘bonus’ tracks. Anyway… even if both songs are sung in English and I prefer most of the English-sung cuts, the bonus tracks are not adding a real extra to the tracklist. I also noticed a few less inspired songs, but I’m afraid that’s what you’ll find on all productions.

Conclusion: Loewenhertz definitely belongs to the most talented number of contemporary synth-pop bands inspired by the true masters in the genre! Originality is far to find, but the songs are efficient.

Best songs: “Winter Falls”, “Thunder”, “It’s Too Late”, “Irgendwann”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: www.loewenhertz–musik.de / www.facebook.com/loewenhertzmusik

Label: www.echozone.de / www.facebook.com/EchozoneMusic

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dance-pop, electro-pop, future-pop.

Background/Info: Alexandr Krivoruko aka Alex Mental is the artist behind the Russian band Mental Discipline. I discovered this band on the debut album “Constellation” (2012), which had a great impact on me. The band released a few EP’s as well and is now ready to confirm its high electro-pop potential with this new full length. It looks more like an EP instead of an album because of the many remixes and no real new songs.

Content: A few songs have been previously released at EP’s and digital productions while other familiar songs have been remixed by an interesting list of bands featuring Assemblage 23, Mind.In.A.Box, Ginger Snap5 and [:SITD:] as most the famous names. Tess Fries (Dual Density) has been featured on two songs while another track features Pulcher Femina (remixed by [:SITD:]) and another one !Distain.

The hard dance-pop style of the Russian formation comes rapidly through. It’s an ultra danceable production merged with efficient and fully carrying leads. But Mental Discipline also deals with a few softer and beautiful songs.

The multiple remixes inject some diversity in the tracklist, sometimes seriously transposing the original versions into a more personal format. Paralyzed did a great job, but I especially have to mention Mind.In.A.Box achieving an amazing remix of “Precious Paradise”. I also –and quite logically, have to mention the great remixing skills of Assemblage 23. Some of the best cuts however remain the ones featuring the powerful vocals of Tess Fries.

+ + + : “Precious Paradise” features some beautiful ‘rare’ songs or simply songs you’ve missed if you’re not familiar with the entire discography of this band. This is why this album is fully recommended. I enjoyed the mix of dance- and future-pop, but still a few more evasive songs. There are a few great remixes featured and I especially want to mention the delicate work of Paralyzed, which reminds me a bit of Wolfsheim.

– – – : It’s just a pity the album has nothing that new to offer. The danceable aspect of the work also is an element that might took traditional pop lovers away. It injects a kind of commercial element, which is not that inventive.

Conclusion: If you like dance-pop music this is for sure a band that will fulfill all your expectations. Mental Discipline for sure is one of the hottest Russian electronic bands in the past few years.

Best songs: Precious Paradise – Mind.In.A.Box Remix”, “Over Horizon feat. Pulcher Femina – Paralyzed Remix”, “We Are No Machines feat. Tess Fries”, “Until The End”, “Pray For Me feat. !Distain – Island Chord Remix”, “Fall To Pieces”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.facebook.com/mentaldiscipline

Label: http://skyqode.com / www.facebook.com/skyqode

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

The Russian synthpop / futurepop project Mental Discipline entered the scene with their debut album “Constellation” featuring collaborations with the vocalists from bands like Frozen Plasma, !Distain, Culture Kultür, Endanger, Pulcher Femina, Spektralized, and many others. The debut was followed by two digital-only EPs, “Fall 2 Pieces” (2013) and “Butterfly” (2014), featuring both new tracks and remixes of the tracks from the debut album.

Finally out via SkyQode now (you can order the release here) is a special CD (“Precious Paradise”) which consists of the tracks from both digital EPs, as well as a couple of previously unreleased tracks. This limited CD edition comes in a 6-panel digipak and contains 13 tracks in all. Among them are the collaborations with Swedish singer Tess Fries as well as remixes from such artists as Assemblage 23, Mind.In.A.Box, [:SITD:], and more.

“Precious Paradise” acts as a warm-up for the band’s upcoming second album “Past Forward” due later this year.

The tracklist:

01. Fall To Pieces
02. Butterfly (Unity One Remix)
03. WDYWFM (feat. Spektralized) (Assemblage 23 Remix)
04. We Are No Machines (feat. Tess Fries)
05. Over Horizon (feat. Pulcher Femina) (Paralyzed Remix)
06. Fall To Pieces (Warmer Mix)
07. God & Devil (feat. Cold In May) (Ginger Snap5 Remix)
08. Precious Paradise (Mind.In.A.Box Remix)
09. Over Horizon (feat. Pulcher Femina) ([:SITD:] Remix)
10. Give Me A Memory (feat. Tess Fries)
11. Pray For Me (feat. !Distain) (Island Chord Remix)
12. Pain & Regrets
13. Until The End

You can check a teaser below:

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Peter Rainman is a name you for sure will have noticed as producer from numerous bands and productions or you might have discovered one of his great and danceable remixes. This French artist is a man from many

talents who got involved in multiple projects. This interview clearly reveals a passionate and busy electronic artist.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: When did you get contaminated by the ‘electronic-music’ virus and what are your main influences and criteria you try to put in your own work as composer/producer?

Peter: Threee questions, then…. mh let me see…

I’ve always been fascinated by strange sounds. In the seventies / early eighties, only synths impressed me. I often went at a friend’s basement, he had two or three of these new machines, and I immediately loved them. They ‘talked’ to me… I knew my life would be made around them!

The second time I had such strong feeling about music was when I heard “Just Can’t Get Enough”. The production (aaaaah that kick!) the melody, the leather, everything was perfect and I said ‘that’s what I want to do’!! that’s what I MUST do!’ Vince Clarke is obviously the main influence. He has four albums on my top ten list… Later came the Pet Shop Boys and New Order to name a few.

I guess what touch me, then and nowadays, is the fact that a sound can influence your feelings, touch your very life. That’s what I’m trying to do with my works: making people dance, think, love, laugh or sometimes cry… For me, if the music has a soul, it’s a good stuff… If it’s just to make money, if it’s soulless or a copy from a copy from a copy, it’s useless…

Q: You’ve been involved in numerous bands and projects (People Theatre, Adan & Ilse, Waiting For Words ao). How do you look back at the different projects and what have been the main elements you’ll keep in mind?

Peter: The thing is those productions are clearly very precise in my mind. People Theatre is a synth-pop / future-pop act with a bit of the eighties. Waiting For Words is a band, and I share a lot of my life with the happy couple, it’s more than music, we play what we really feel deep inside. Therefore, the production goes from real instruments, guitars, sometimes organs, to very synthetic softwares. It’s a kind of diary, you know…

Adan & Ilse is a rather old story now, but I still work with Ushersan with pleasure. We set up a kind of laboratory to create sounds and atmospheres and it’s quite fascinating. Right now we are working on distortion for instance. We combine very old devices and little softwares, it’s very impressive. The other bands I work in are all about synth-pop music (Royal Visionnaries and two others that are still secret… huhu!). It’s always cool to work with other people, whatever the style, the distance… I love to learn!

Q: How would you define the ‘job’ of producer and what kind of producer are you?

Peter: Oh I’m a very cool one… hmm, wait, no, it depends! Lol! My inspiration comes from Brian Eno: to me, a producer is a kind of guru: I propose tips, devices or books, records, philosophy, but the band decides. They bring ideas or songs and I show them what is, according to me, not good. That’s 80% of the production I make. The 20% remaining is probably the most interesting but it takes more time: we start from zero and build the whole album together, including the concept, the ideas, the messages. We need to go deep down our personality. Then, I both am a technician and a guide. It’s totally different from making a remix, obviously.

Q: You’ve produced a lot of bands and productions. What have been the biggest ‘challenges’ and productions you’ve been really proud of?

Peter: I love very professional people because they know what they want, we work quickly. !distain are like that. But I also like working with band or artists I discover and tell them ‘look, you have a strong potential but I think you help to start. Trust me, we’ll go higher!’ In a way, Original Band are in this situation, as Nun (my very first production!) were. Waiting For Words are a bit ‘hey let’s try this, if it works, great! If it fails, well never mind, at least we tried!’ I’m also  proud of the work I make for myself, as People Theatre. I try something new on every song! You know, producing or remixing,  it’s never easy, every time is a new BIG challenge!

Q: Less bands are actually working with a producer because they think to have the material and knowledge to do it on their own. How do you see this trend?

Peter: Well they are right and wrong;  they know what kind of sound they want, but will they get it? It depends of the artist’s talent… and the material they have. On the other hand, we all need a look from outside, someone you can rely on and get rid of the big work like mixing or mastering. Even myself!

Q: What might we expect from you during the next few months? 

Peter: Well I’m working on the second EP, to follow my very first, “Dare At Dawn”, surrounded by the love the people send me after a gig or via internet. I’m working on Original Band’s first album, and few other artists like Christopher Anton or Black Egg. Waiting For Words will release a new single soon, probably in May. I’m also working on covers of the French cult band, Indochine, both for WFW and for People Theatre to feature on a Tribute (also to be released in May). The same month, I’ll sing as People Theatre in Lille, a showcase, and Waiting For Words will play live at the ISYNTH festival. We also just reactivated Splendor Projekt with Matt and JM few months ago. I also have very secret projects so the best thing you can do is checking my page on FB of course. Busy, you said? 🙂

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

!Distain’s Manfred Thomaser is releasing another solo-album under the Arsine Tibé flag. A first track “Obligation” taken from the mini-album “An Ambience Of Dying” can now be previewed below. The instrumental download release contains five songs and can be downloaded now from Amazon.

“An Ambience Of Dying” is the follow-up to last year’s “Istanbul” album. Here’s “Obligation”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange) The new album from the Russian electro-pop band WANT/ed  includes collaborations with various musicians such as Holger Muller, Patrik Hansson (Vanguard), Tomas Gustafsson (Erotik Elk), Dania Morales (Anything Box), Vlada Haruhi, Julie Newman-Sanders (One Vista), Alexander Brown and Manfred Tomaser (!distain).

The album, named “Fringe”, opens a new page in the band’s history. This time the members adds different methods to the already recognizable sound. As a result is 14 diversified tracks: pure melancholy, serene harmony and full of optimism at the same time. 14 different chapters in a book named Fringe.

Jan Ronald Stange

Sometimes – when I’m not cooking, biking, listening to music or attending concerts, I write stuff for Side-Line.com. Mostly about Norwegian bands, but it’s been some Swedish, English, American, Danish, German and others too… 😉

www.facebook.com/jrstange

Track 15 on our free download compilation “Face The Beat: Session 3” is CYLiX. On “Don’t Let Me Fade (Prequel Edit)” this Greek act offers dark electropop with a fresh undertone and strong male vocals in the vain of Distain!, De/Vision but stronger at the same time. They are clearly part of the new generation of electropop bands that slowly but steadily are taking the place of the frontrunners.

You can listen to the track below:

CYLiX is an electropop band from Athens / Greece, and consists of PlasmaG (synth, guitars, programming), Harry (vocals, programming) and Ilias (drums). They released their debut CD album “Alpha” in December 2010 via Life Is Painful Records (Germany) in a distribution by Nova Media. The album was mastered by Len Lemeire (32CRASH, Implant) and included 2 bonus remixes by the EBM/Synthpop acts Lights of Euphoria and Psyche.

The debut was well received and after the participation in various cd compilations and a few selective gigs, the band performed live in Wave Gotik Treffen as headliners at Moritzbastei stage (Leipzig, 25 May 2012). At present, they are working on their second album which is planned to be released in 2016. We’ll keep you informed!

You can find the CYLiX website right here.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Out via KL-Dark-Records is the new album “Seasons” by German electro pop act evo-lution. The album is available both as a download and on CD (you can order both right here).

Included also on the album are bonus remixes by Beborn Beton, !distain, Eisfabrik, Leichtmatrose, Per Anders Kurenbach and Rob Dust.

A preview teaser for the album can be viewed below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Synth-pop.

Content: It took more or less 4 years for Distain to unleash their newest album featuring 11 songs. Distain is an old-time established synth-pop combo, which released their debut-CD “Cement Garden” now 20 years ago. They directly revealed great writing skills and progressively became one of the leading flag holders for German synth-pop.

The new work doesn’t reveal any great surprises. Distain is a well-oiled pop machine for whom the formula of how to make great synth-pop music is no longer a secret. This 7th full length album confirms their great writing skills and experienced production work. The songs are carried by solid bass lines while constantly embraced by warm and elaborated strings. The unavoidable melancholic moods are hanging over the work, which is a good-old synth-pop ingredient. The songs are rather quiet although some harder kicks can be noticed as well. Last, but not least, singer Manfred Thomaser remains a real talent for this kind of music.

The album was introduced by 2 noticeable singles (cf. “Where In This World” and “A Million Engines”), which remain some of the biggest attention grabbers. Both songs are more danceable while the elevating choruses will for sure lead Distain’s fan bases to ecstasy. I also have to mention “Gunfires”, which is an interesting cut for the contribution of DJ Ram. Lyrically, this song reveals a rather simplistic content, but in the end the song rocks.

A few more guests contributed to the work. Elektrostaub contributed to the already familiar “Where In This World,” and you also will hear some guitar parts in “Back To History” injecting a new-wave touch on top. DJ Ram also contributed to the mix and production of several songs. Distain didn’t spare any effort to reach again a high level of qualitative synth-pop and from a pure technical point of view this album is absolutely remarkable. The only regret is that while you can expect to hear a few cool songs, this album doesn’t feature a new absolute and indisputable hit.

Conclusion: Great synth-pop music by a talented and renowned band, but without real surprises.

Best songs: “Where In this World”, “A Million Engines”, “Gunfires”, “No One Is To Lead”.

Rate: (DP:7).

Band: www.distain.de / www.facebook.com/distainofficial

Label: www.echozone.de / www.facebook.com/EchozoneMusic

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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